Directory for drivers



April 23, 19:9: G. E. cooK DIRECTORY FOR DRIVERS Filed Feb. 3, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l IHH M INVENTORV 5w. (9. @042? A rii 23, 1929. E, COOK 1,110,207

DIRECTORY FOR DRIVERS Filed Feb. 5, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 23, 1929.

} 1,710,207 PATENT OFFICE.

', UNITED STATES GEORGE E. COOK, OF WOODSIDE, NEW YORK.

I DIRECTORY FOR DRIVERS.

Application filed February 8, 1928. Serial No. 251,485.

This invention app ertains to improvements.

- present invention has in view are:

To provide a directory in the nature of a container having a tape or ribbon on which numerous locations are printed or placed; to provide means for feeding the tape or ribbon p'ast an opening or aperture in the casing through which the driver may view the tape or ribbon and the particular location imprinted thereon and coming in coincidence with the aperture or opening; to provide an illuminating means adapted to illuminate the back of the strip, tape or'ribbon so that even at night, or in the dark, the ribbon may be seen distinctly through the openingin the casing and the locality imprinted thereon adjacent the opening clearly visible; to provide means forrender-. ing the illuminating means operative or inoperative at will; and generally to provide an improved directory of the nature indicated and characterized by its simplicity in construction and efficiency and convenience in use and service. i

Figure 1 is a side view in elevation of a directory constructed in accordance with the present invention and looking at the left of Figure 2. i

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the directory. I 1 v Figure 3 is a side elevational view looking at the right of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a front elevational view of the directory with the cover removed to show the interior construction of the directory.

Figure5 is a transverse cross-sectional ele vational view of the directory. v

Figure 6 is a front elevational view of a modified form of directory constructed in accordance with the present invention, showing a fragment of a trouble'light used in conjunction and combination therewith.

Figure 7 is a transverse, cross-sectional, elevational view through this modified formacri tion of the invention, showing the same disposed in service as on the dash-board of an automoblle and showing the trouble light in elevation and disposed on said dash-board and illustrating t 10 manner in which it cooperates with the directory throughout.

Figure 8 is a sectional plan View taken as on line 8-8 of Figure 7 to illustrate the manner in which the trouble light is preferably detachably disposed in service.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and first to. the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, the directory com.- prises a casing including a container or box 10, having the front open, cover 11 adapted for placement over the open front of the box and having side flanges 12 adapted for snug disposition over the container or box, said cover having also an elongated transverse slot 13 through which the interior of the container or box'may be viewed for the purpose hereinbefore described. The casing including the box and its cover are preferably constructed of sheet metal, although of course other material may housed in the practise of.

the invention.

Within the container are two spools 14; and 15, which are supported on parallel, horizontal axes extending transverse the container and preferably formed also of sheet metal. These spools are mounted on shafts 16 and 17, the ends ofwhich project through the sides of the box or container 10 and are journaled in said sides which. serve as bearings for said shaft. The projecting ends of the shafts on one side of the container are reduced to form shoulders 18 and 19 and the reduced ends of the shafts terminate in finger knobs 20 and 21. A. leaf spring 22 is associated with the shoulders of the shafts 16 and 17 and for this purpose, the ends of the leaf spring are slotted so as to accommodate the reduced portions of the shafts 16 and 17 and abut against the shoulders 18 and 19.. The slotted ends of the springs are shown in dotted lines in Figure 3 at 23 and 24:. The central portion of the leaf spring is attached to the side of the box spool to the other as desired, the ends of the ribbon being secured to the spools in any suitable or convenient manner to provide for the winding upon rotation of either spool. The leaf spring serves to maintain the disposition of the spools in service within the casing and also to controlforce required to cause rotation of the spools, this being obtained by adjustment of the bolt "25. This is an important feature from a practical view point, because it is necessary that the spools within the casing, be not too loose, asunder the treatment and jars to which they are subject in service they would tend to rotate and cause movement of the tape or ribbon which would destroy the effect of the directory and defeat the purpose for which it is designed.

The tape or ribbon contains, imprinted, stamped or otherwise affixed thereon a number of different representations of locations, any one of which may be brought opposite the aperture 13 to be seen by the driver of the conveyance.

When the passenger enters the conveyance and informs the driver of his destination, the latter turns the knob 20 or 21 until the destination or location given by the passenger appearsthrough the aperture 13 and the directory is set 'at that particular location. Thus the driver may refer to the directory as many times as it may be necessary to refresh his memory and-he'need not again reeasily'and readily through the aperture.

fer to the passenger for further information.

In connection with the construction thus far described I provide means for guiding the tape or ribbon as it passes by the aperture, which means is in the form of small rollers 27 of small diameter, positioned transversely of the container and in parallel, horizontal relation, said rollers being journaled in the sides of the box or container and in close proximity to the front thereof to guide the tape or ribbon closely against the interior of the front so that it may be viewer} -also preferably provide an illuminating means within the container for illuminating the backof the tape so that the writing or printing on the tape may be seen through the aperture even in the dark or at night. This illuminating means as shown in Figures 1 to 5 is preferably an electric bulb or-light- 28 mounted in a suitable socket 29 on the back and within the container in line with the aperture on the front. A battery 30 may be disposed within the container, preferably on the bottom thereof, which serves to supply the bulb 28- with current through the medium of sgitable electric conductive wires. The battery 30 is preferably mounted within the container in a detachable manner to allow it to be conveniently removed for inspection,

' repaired or renewed and is provided with a contact 30 which cooperates frictionally 'the tape adjacent the aperture.

only with another contact 31 within the container and to which the end of the conductor 31 is attached, the frictional engagement of the contacts being sufficient to establish electrical association for conveyance of current therebetween.

vide a switch which is controlled from the .exterior of the directory as by means of a projecting switch arm 32 which preferably extends through the side of the directory. The switch may be of any wellknown construction and no-particular type ofswitch need be described herein. By Virtue of the provision of the switch, the light within the container may be turned off or turned on at will and may be used to illuminate the directory whenever necessary and if not necessary may be turned off entirely with consequent saving of the battery.

In Figures 6' to 8 inclusive, I have disclosed the invention as applied to a slightly different modification, which includes the box 10", the cover 11, and flanges 12*, associated with' the cover, with an aperture 13 in the cover, spools let and 16 on which are adapted to be wound and unwound a ribbon or tape 26* containing the different localities imprinted thereon as in the previous modification. The spool 15 is, however, positioned in a swell 33 of the cover and the tape in passing from the upper spool 14. to the lower spool 15 passes first over a guide roller 34 and then under another guide roller 35 as shown in Figure 7, the guide roller 35 serving to position the tape or ribbon slightly away from the interior of the cover so that it is not affected by the sharp edge of the joint between the swell and the plane portions of thecover, the tape being, however, very.

close to the aperture so as to be conveniently viewed therethrough. The bottom of the box or container is provided withan opening 36,

In the circuit of Y the battery and light, I also preferably prothrough which is projected the light from an electric trouble light, 37, which is disposed beneath the opening and in perpendicular position so as to cast its light upwardly and within the directory on to a mirror 38' within the directory and arranged at an angle such as to reflect the light from the trouble lamp on to The spool 15, by virtue of its disposition in the swell 33 does not interfere with the projection of the light from the. trouble light and it issubsequenlty reflected on to the back of the tape. The trouble light is detachably disposed-in service and is yieldingly held in position as by means of spring fingers 39 which are attached as by screws 40 to the dash-board 41 or other place to which the directory and s ring fingers are disposed in service. The 0 ject of this modification resides in the fact that the trouble light may be used not only. to illuminate the interior of the container but it may also be detached from this position and carried around by hand to inspect portions of the automobile or vehicle or conveyance to which the invention is applied.

The controlling principles of the invention are similar however in both modifications.

It will be appreciated also that in the secondmodification as well as in the first, means may be provided whereby the light'may be turned on or ofl at will, to illuminate the back of the tape it necessary or to turn off the illuminating means if not necessary.

It will be appreciated that the specific constructions hereinbefore described and pointedout are to be construed merely as illustrative of the invention, and I desire to be restricted merely by the state of the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.-

I claim:

1. A directory of the class described, comprising a hollow casing having an aperture in the front elongated transversely of the easing, a pair of spools Within the casing, said spools being disposed on opposite sides of the aperture with the ends of a tape secured to the spools, said tape being adapted for movement within the casing past the aperture and having a number of destinations represented prising a hollow casing having an aperture of the casing through an opening in thebottom thereof. 4 2. A directory of the class described, comin the front elongated transversely of the casing, a pair of spools within the casing, said spool being disposed on opposite sides of the aperture with the ends of a tape secured to the spools, said tape being adapted for movement within the casing past the aperture and having a number of destinations represented thereon, means outside of the casing for rotating each of the spools to Wind up the tape thereon, a trouble light positioned beneath the casing and adapted to illuminate the interior of the casing through an opening in the bottom thereof, and means within the casing for reflecting the light from the troublelight on to the back of the tape adjacent the aperture.

GEORGE E. COOK. 

